Gene Haas wants American driver for new Formula One team

Could Alexander Rossi be Gene Haas' American Formula One driver? Haas would like to have a driver from the United States.

Could we see an American driver in Formula One racing in the near future? We could if Gene Haas has his way.

Haas, who is starting an F1 team to compete in 2016, says his dream lineup would include an American driver -- but only if the driver has the talent to be competitive.

Haas said he wants an experienced driver in his first car, and hopefully, a talented American in the second.

“Seat number one is going to obviously be taken by an existing F1 driver that has experience with the current engine package and chassis,” Hass said in a recent interview. “And then position two is open.

“It would be great if we could put [an American] in there -- it would just be the home run: an American team with an American driver in a European series. That would be phenomenal.”

However, even though he is optimistic, Haas said he isn’t tied down to hiring an American.

“We’re very flexible on that. Realistically, the number one thing is to make sure we don’t embarrass the sport.”

So who could be Haas’ American driver?

Danica Patrick’s name has been mentioned in some circles, and while she almost certainly wouldn’t be very competitive, she does bring a lot to the table in terms of sponsorship dollars. It takes a lot of money to compete in Formula One, and Patrick as a No. 2 driver could help Haas defray costs for his new program.

Realistically though, Alexander Rossi and Conor Daly are the only two American drivers who would give Haas a legitimate chance at being competitive in 2016. Rossi is currently involved in F1 as a Caterham test driver and Daly has been competing in GP2.